Silicon Valley Billionaire Compares Being a One-Percenter to Being a Jew in Nazi Germany

A billionaire venture capitalist is redefining ignorance with a recent letter to the Wall Street Journal, in which he compares the rising public debate over wealth and income inequality to the Nazi “Kristallnacht,” invoking what is possibly the most inane and offensive right-wing holocaust references this year.

Tom Perkins, who in addition to a career of tech entrepreneurship and venture capital investment, presently sits on the board of directors for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, penned the brief letter to the Wall Street Journal likening the threat and persecution suffered by Jews under the Nazi regime to what he dubs “the progressive war on the American one percent, namely the ‘rich.'”

Noting both the rise and popularity of the Occupy movement, as well as increasing media reporting on matters of public struggle and wealthy excess, Perkins expresses concern for the “rising tide of hatred” for America’s wealthiest and most “successful.” Leaping to defend novelist Danielle Steel from a recent criticism in the magazine The Chronicle, Perkins fails to otherwise articulate in any real way how public ire towards America’s true “takers” in a time when most are struggling harder than ever simply to survive is appropriately comparable to Nazi persecution of German and Austrian Jews in 1938.

And while some historical comparisons are apt -such as the French Revolution, where widespread public poverty, suffering and resentment over the lavish lifestyles enjoyed by the social and economic elite came to a head following a severe financial crisis, ultimately leading to a number of heads falling into a number of baskets,- the miserable failure of Perkins’ letter and thesis is best experienced in the choices of words themselves.

“Regarding your editorial “Censors on Campus” (Jan. 18): Writing from the epicenter of progressive thought, San Francisco, I would call attention to the parallels of fascist Nazi Germany to its war on its “one percent,” namely its Jews, to the progressive war on the American one percent, namely the “rich.”

From the Occupy movement to the demonization of the rich embedded in virtually every word of our local newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, I perceive a rising tide of hatred of the successful one percent. There is outraged public reaction to the Google buses carrying technology workers from the city to the peninsula high-tech companies which employ them. We have outrage over the rising real-estate prices which these “techno geeks” can pay. We have, for example, libelous and cruel attacks in the Chronicle on our number-one celebrity, the author Danielle Steel, alleging that she is a “snob” despite the millions she has spent on our city’s homeless and mentally ill over the past decades.

This is a very dangerous drift in our American thinking. Kristallnacht was unthinkable in 1930; is its descendent “progressive” radicalism unthinkable now?”

With an approximate net worth of $8 billion dollars, it is unlikely Perkins is remotely familiar with the struggles of the working class, let alone his city’s homeless or mentally ill, yet as those on the edges and even what used to be the middle continue being pushed out of civil society so that investment sharks like himself may enjoy more luxurious and “competitive” lifestyles, the angst he senses in the air should at least be understandable.

The letter, which was published Friday, was denounced Saturday afternoon by the venture capital firm of Kleiner, Perkins and Byers, in an effort to distance themselves from the statements of their one time founder, by way of twitter.

Later, a spokesperson for the firm reiterated this, saying simply that the tweet was the firm’s official response to Perkin’s comments. Though badly drawn comparisons to Hitler and Nazi Germany are common among those who are hostile to ideas such as social and economic justice, few have reached the level of crude absurdity as Perkins. But it is important to remember while considering such, that no amount of 1% rhetoric on the virtues of their wealth is likely to turn the tide of anger over inequality.

Additionally regarding to the inherent stupidity of the comparison, and the possible new standard it has set for the failed defense of such gross inequality, it is also important to remember that the year is still very, very young.

About Nick Goroff

I think Perkins is right. The transforming movement known as Obama is marching towards the same scene as Nazi Germany… Government confiscation of healthcare, finance, Wall St, big manufacturing…. the list goes on and on… holocaust is a especially a good term to use for American disregard for the the life of the unborn due to the democratic abortion voters and baby killing Planned Parent of the Hood mentality. We have bigger problems than the do called ‘one percenters’.

http://www.jeromiewilliams.com Jeromie Williams

Yeah, bigger problems like your atrocious spelling and grammar.

Oh yeah, and the Nazi comparisons. You should probably stop that too. Along with the racism. kthnxbye

Labman, The term fascist to describe these 1% people is not an inaccurate description. They hate minorities, the poor, anything or anyone who disagrees with what they have to say, politically or otherwise. How is a Progressive called a fascist when said Progressive believes the polar opposite of what these 1 percenters do? Answer: She or he isn’t fascist! Compare Hitler’s goals against both the 1% class and the Progressives. Now tell me which more aligns with Hitler? Answer: The 1% class, of course!

http://gravatar.com/nomadicview Nomad

Perhaps the French aristocracy just before the revolution might have been a bit more accurate.

BluesKen

Where is the SLA when you need them ?

Dan D

Mr. Perkins, they killed the jews in Nazi germany.
Here, we give the 1% billions in tax breaks in exchange for not creating jobs.
In closing: Godwin’s law you spiteful troll.

labman57

All of these continual references to Hitler, Nazis, the Gestapo, fascism, brownshirts, or the Holocaust serve no purpose other than to use disingenuous fear-mongering tactics to try to sway the public to an otherwise indefensible point of view. It’s right out of the Atwater-Rove playbook on how to smear your opponents or an opposing opinion when you have nothing legitimate to say.

The terms “fascist”, “Nazi”, and “Holocaust” get thrown around far too loosely by people at both ends of the political spectrum, and it insults the memory of those that had to live through (or died because of) the policies of a truly fascist regime.

ABOUT AATTP

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” - John Kenneth Galbraith

Americans Against The Tea Party is a group committed to exposing the Tea Party’s lies, violence, racism, ignorance, intolerance, bigotry, and corporatist fascist efforts to subvert our democratic process.

We support freedom and equal rights for all Americans, income equality and closing the gap between ultra-rich and poor. We believe that a strong vibrant middle-class is essential to a thriving economy and that the American People should come first in terms of policy and legislation -- especially the young, elderly, weak, sick, vulnerable, marginalized, and exploited.

And with your help, we are organizing to defeat Tea Party/GOP candidates on ballots everywhere!